Game-table cushion



Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

their states CHARLES P. MILLER, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEJV YORK, ASSIG-NOE TOTHE BEUIilS'iFVIGY- BALKE-COLLENDEB, COMPANY, GE VJILMINGTOH, DELAWARE,A OORPORATIGN OF DELAWABE.

GAME-TABLE CUSHION.

Application filed January is, 1923. Serial No. 613,339.

To (:ZZ ve/2.0m it may concerns Be it known that I, CHARLES P. MILLER,

a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Vernon, in the Countyof i v estchester and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in GameTable Cushions, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to cushions for game tables, more particularly forbilliard tables, and its object is to provide a fast cushion which willreflect the ball more accurately than has been done heretofore. Manyefforts have been made to provide a cushion having a high degree ofresiliency for refleeting the ball without materially reducing itsspeed, and at an angle as nearly approaching absolute accuracyaspossible; but so far as I am aware these two desirable results havenever been satisfactorily accomplished in any one cushion. Thedifflculties encountered are great because the two desired results are,in a sense, directly antagonistic to each other. A soft cushion, whichwill give the desired speed of reflection, will not reflect the ball ata true angle, and the softer the cushion the greater the inaccuracy ofthe angle; on the other hand, a hard cushion will give more nearlyaccurate angle of reflection, but it will materially reduce the speed ofthe ball.

After long experience in this art and a great deal of experiment andtest work I have produced a cushion which accomplishes the desiredcombined results of speedy and accuracy in reflection of the ball morenearly approaching absolute accuracy than has ever before beenacomplished, to my knowledge, and these results are attained by what maybe regarded upon inspection as a very slight change in cushionconstruction, but which, in fact, represent a marked and importantimprovement in the art when the results of such change are known andappreciated.

I have illustrated my invention in a selected embodiment in theaccompanying drawings. in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a portionof a billiard table embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a short section of the cushion.

Referring to the drawings, 3 is a cushion strip, 4 the rail and 5 thebed of the table. The cushion strip has an inclined face 6 to which acushion 7, generally triangular in cross section, is aflixed, and acloth covering 8 is disposed over the cushion and cushion strip and issecured in position in the usual manner.

The cushion has a groove or channel 9 in its back 1d and the entire faceof the back is covered with a strip of fabric ll affixed thereto.

Cushions of this general form and shape have been used heretofore, butit has been customary to aflix canvas or other fabric to the workingface 12 and to the top face 13 and to the nose 1% in various ways, andin different combinations and arran ements, but, so far as I am aware,it has never been possible to obtain with any of these combinations andarrangements cushion having the desirable speed and accuracy of theangle of reflection which. is the object of this invention and which isattained by this invention. And my invention consists essentially inaffixing a strip of thin fabric 15, preferably thin muslin, to the nose14: of the cushion. This strip of fabric extends over the nose and justa short distance back from the nose on the working face and on the topof the cush on, so that the nose of the cushion is well covered with thefabric. From the edge of the strip of fabric to the back of the cushionthe working face and the to?) face are both clear rubber. without anyfabric embedded therein or placed thereon, with the exception of theusual covering fabric 8 which is stretched over the cushion in the usualmanner as before .tated.

It has been known and the knowledge has been availed of in makingcushions that the provision of a canvas covering, embedded in theworkingtace. nose and top face of the cushion would materially improvethe angle of reflection. make it more accurate than would be the casewithout the canvas. but the speed of the ball would be materiallyreduced because of the presence of the canvas which stiifens and reducesto that extent the action of the cushion as a whole. Accordingly thecushion was made in various shapes with the idea of overcoming thisdisadvantage and in an effort to make a fast cushion which would reflectthe ball at an angle more nearly approaching absolute accuracy. Some ofthese improvements have developed faster cushions and some of them haveimproved the angle of reflection, and some of them have combined thesedesirable cushions which have been proposed.

results in a measurable degree, but none of them has advanced the art tothat extent which can be said to be satisfactory to manufacturers ofgame tables and to players, and some have introduced structural featureswhich present other objections.

For many years 1 have been. connectet with the manufacture of cushions,from the purchase of the raw material to the sale of tables equippedwith cushions, and l have played billiards and pocket billiards also formany years, and I believe that I fully unde.r stand what is desired in acushion and the action of the ball on the cushion when itis driven bythe cue against the cushion, and also the action of the cushion inreflecting the ball therefrom. For many purposes it is desirable to havea fast cushion, one which will no materially retard the speed of theball; and it is always desirable to approach as nearly as possibleabsolute accuracy in the angle of reflection. These results are highlydesirable to skilful players and they are just as important to otherplayers, although their importance may not be so well appreciated. It isdesirable to have a fast cushion to obtain the full benefit of thestroke and that the angle of reflection should be as nearly accurate aspossible in order that the travel of the ball may conform with themathematical calculations of the game. I have found that my improvedcushion produces these desirable results much more satisfactorily'and toa degree more nearly approaching perfection than has been possioleheretofore with any game table cushions which I have known, and Ibeleive that I have known all the game table cushions which have beenmanufactured to any extent and probably most of the game table The thinmuslin strip may be vul *anized or otherwise aflixed to the nose of thecushion, and it is just sutlicient. I have found, to prevent the ball.from indenting itself too much in the cushion, which would result in aninaccurate reflection of the ball; and it does not stiffen or confine orhold the nose ofthe cushion to lessen its elasticity to an extent Whichwill materially reduce the speed of the cushion. The muslin strip hasthe apparent effect, as I understand it, of preventingthe ball fromindenting itself in the cushion to an extent which will make the angleof reflection inaccurate, and yet it does not affect the inherentelasticity of the cushion to an extent which will materially retard thespeed of the ball.

fl believe that the drawings illustrate the invention. in a form whichwill give most complete satisfaction under all ordinary circumstanccs,but it may he found desirable to change the details of construction, tomake the strip wider or narrower to meet differenl conditions, andotherwise to modify or change the invention to conform with r q ircmentsof games, and to meet the wishes of players, as well as to adapt theinvention i0 cushions of different sizes and shapes, and l reserve theright, therefore, to make all such changes as fairly fall within thescope of the following claims.

l claim: I

l. A game-table cushion of a generally triangular shape in cross sectionhaving a working face, a top face, and a nose at the juncture of theworking face and the top face. and a strip of fabric ailixed to saidnose throughout v its length and terminating a short distance on theworking face and on the top face back from said nose.

2. A game table cushion of a generally triangular shape in cross sectionhaving a working face, a top face, and a noseat-the juncture of theworking face and the top face, and a strip of thin muslin aff xed tosaid nose throughout its length and terminating short distance ontheworking face and on the top face back from said nose.

3. A game table cushion of a generally triangular shape in cross sectionhaving a back provided with a longitudinal channel and covered withfabric, a working face and a top face, and a nose'at the juncturethereof, and a strip of fabric aiiiXed to said nose throughout itslength and terminating a short distance on the working face and on thetop face back from said nose. that portion of the working face andthatportion of the top face between said strip and the juncture of theworking face with the back and the juncture of the top face with theback being clear rubber and free from fabric.

CHARLES P. MILLER.

